babun

See also: babún

Higaonon

Etymology

Akin to Maranao bobon.

Noun

babun

1. thigh

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from English baboon, from Middle English babewin, baboin, from Old French babouin, from baboue (“grimace; muzzle”), of West Germanic origin, related to dialectal German Bäppe (“lips; muzzle”), Middle High German beffen (“to bark”), Middle English baffen (“to bark”). See also baff, baffle.

Pronunciation

• (schwa-variety, /a/-variety, Baku) IPA^(key): /ˈbabun/ [ˈba.bun]
• Rhymes: -bun, -un
• Hyphenation: ba‧bun

Noun

babun (Jawi spelling بابون, plural babun-babun or babun²)

1. baboon

Usage notes

• The word is part of false friends between Standard Malay and Indonesian due to shared etymology. However, the correct Indonesian and Standard Malay term for the primate is "babun (spelled with a 'u')". Users in these regions should be careful not to misinterpret the Indonesian fishing jargon and figurative expression "babon" as a reference to a primate.

• In Indonesian, "babon" is widely used in hobbyist circles—particularly in fishing—as a slang term to describe an exceptionally large or trophy-sized specimen (e.g., nila babon, a giant tilapia). This sense is derived from the figurative "mother" or "original" source. And also, when applied to people, "babon" is a derogatory slang term describing a person of very large, sturdy, or heavy stature. Unlike its use in fishing (where it is often positive), calling a person a babon is generally considered an insult regarding their body size and should be avoided in polite conversation.

Further reading

• "babun" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Maltese

Alternative forms

• babwin

Etymology

Borrowed from English baboon. Doublet of babwin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈbuːn/
• Rhymes: -uːn

Noun

babun m (plural babuni, feminine babuna)

1. baboon

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English baboon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bǎbuːn/
• Hyphenation: ba‧bun

Noun

bàbūn m anim (Cyrillic spelling ба̀бӯн)

1. baboon

Declension

Declension of babun

	singular	plural
nominative	babun	babuni
genitive	babuna	babuna
dative	babunu	babunima
accusative	babuna	babune
vocative	babune	babuni
locative	babunu	babunima
instrumental	babunom	babunima

Etymology 2

From Church Slavonic бабуни (babuni). Akin to bàbuna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bǎbuːn/
• Hyphenation: ba‧bun

Noun

bàbūn m anim (Cyrillic spelling ба̀бӯн)

1. (historical) heretic
2. (historical) Bogomil

Declension

Declension of babun

	singular	plural
nominative	babun	babuni
genitive	babuna	babuna
dative	babunu	babunima
accusative	babuna	babune
vocative	babune	babuni
locative	babunu	babunima
instrumental	babunom	babunima

References

• “babun”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026
• “babun”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English baboon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /babuŋ/, /babun/, [ba̠bũŋ], [bɑ̟buŋ]

Noun

babun

1. Colombian red howler (Alouatta Seniculus)
2. (derogatory) a man of Hindustani descent

References

• Wilner, John, editor (2003-2007), “babun”, in Languages of Suriname, 5th edition, SIL International, Sranan-English Dictionary

Yagara

Noun

babun

1. father

References

• State Library of Queensland, Indigenous Language Wordlists Yugara Everyday Words.